Todd To the White House?

MSNBC is announcing that Chuck Todd has just been appointed chief White House correspondent for NBC News.

I must say

I did not expect that. And it seems like an odd choice. Not a bad choice, but not at all what I would have expected from them.

Let me be clear. I’m a big, big fan of Chuck Todd. In addition to being a very shrewd political analyst. He’s a great generational turnover from a cadre that’s mainly in its 50s and 60s.

But I don’t think of him as a beat reporter like that, more of an analyst, an explainer of the details of the whole political scene.

It may be an inspired choice. Just for political smarts I think Todd probably blows away all the competitors for the slot. But not a choice I expected, though even as I write this post I’m starting to warm to the idea.

Thoughts?

Late Update: Grooming him for the future? TPM Reader DC writes, “expanding the resume. More things to come in 3-4 years?”

Later Update: TPM Reader JP’s thinking along similar line: “Put me in the “grooming him for the future” column. He’s obviously the most talented observer of the political scene on TV today (setting up so many embarrassing interludes with the ignorant Tweety over the last cycle that I lost count). NBC missed a big opportunity in not slotting him right into the Meet The Press Slot. He’s miles in front of David Gregory.”